Yesterday was the first day of spring. For the past week the sun has been out, the temperatures have been high enough for tank tops and shorts, and there was even an ice cream cone give away in my city. Ice cream giveaways…in March! One can only assume that we will be making up for it with a snow storm in May. For now, though, it’s a beautiful luxury and I tell you now-get outside today! Break out the grill, if you’ve got one.
This weekend we will be having dinner with family, and for the past few months I had planned to bring cinnamon rolls. It is a recipe that I enjoy far too much to make on a regular basis, as the last time I made a batch I ate almost half the pan myself. Needless to say, that’s not a very good (although tasty) way to eat anything. So the cinnamon roles have been limited to special days, like visits with family who will share in eating the pan with me. However, with the switch from brisk snow showers haven’t I missed the time for hot gooey sweets? Of course not. Thankfully, regardless of out of place weather, these are a crop that are never out of season. Plus, you start them at night, and if there’s anything I love, it’s less work in the morning for a delicious breakfast.
Special Equipment: Stand Mixer, 9X13 glass baking dish, rolling pin, Kitchen Scale (While not necessarily it will make ALL of your recipes more accurate and consistent)
Ingredients
Dough:
-4 large egg yolks, room temp
-1 large whole egg, room temp
-2 ounces sugar (approx 1/4 cup)
-3 ounces butter, melted (approx 6 Tbsp)
-6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature (substitution: dry buttermilk with water, or plain whole milk)
-20 ounces all-purpose flour (approx 4 cups) +some for dusting
-2 &1/4 tsp instant yeast
-1& 1/4 kosher salt
(Oil, cooking spray, or additional butter for pan)
Filling:
- 8 ounces brown sugar (Approx. 1 cup packed. I use dark brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp freshly ground cinnamon
- pinch koshers salt
- 3/4 ounce butter, melted (Approx 1 & 1/2 tbsp)
Icing:
-2&1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (Approx 1/4 cup)
- 3 tbsp milk
-5& 1/2 ounces powdered sugar (Approx 1 & 1/2 cups)
DIRECTIONS:
1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter and buttermilk. Add 2 cups of the flour, the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. 
2) Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. The dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky (at this point add more flour if necessary). Knead on low speed until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, kneading by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil/butter/spray a large bowl.
4) Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, about 2-2 1/2 hours.
5) Close to end of rising, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside until ready to use.
6) Butter a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, gently shaping the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you.
7) Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. (I actually used a ruler for this) Brush the dough with the 3/4 ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border along the top edge.
Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4 inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down.
Try to be more even than I am here =)
9) Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1&1/2 inch rolls (about 12 rolls). Arrange them cut side down in the baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 16 hours.
(The next morning)
10) Remove the rolls from the refridgetor and place in an oven that is off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3 full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy (approx 30 min).
puffy
11) Remove the rolls and the pan of water from the oven. Then set oven to 350 degrees F.
12) When the oven is ready, place rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature is 190 degrees F. (approx 30 min)
13) While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing: Whisk cream cheese in the bowl of the stand mixer until cream. Then add milk and whisk. Finally sift in the powdered sigar and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.
Alternatively, you can freeze the rolls for a few hours and they taste delicious as a semi-frozen pastry in warm weather. Yum.
“Cinnamon. It should be on tables at restaurants along with salt and pepper. Anytime anyone says, “Oh This is so good. What’s in it?” The answer invariably comes back, “Cinnamon”. “Cinnamon”. Again and again.”
(-Jerry Seinfeld)
